Entries in juvenal
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The Mcpocalypse was originally launched in January 2011 as a satirical news blog called Mcpocalypse News. The entire site was conceived, written, edited, and poorly photoshopped by me, your humble satirist and cynic, Juvenal Delinquent.

Why the name Mcpocalypse?

Well, I had initially written a screenplay back in the mid to late nineties that satirized the news media, religion, politics, the military-industrial complex, Hollywood, and pop culture in general. I described it as The Kentucky Fried Movie for the apocalypse generation. It was originally titled, Surfing the Apocalypse, but there was already a conspiratorial/paranormal website with the same name and, as I always envisioned having a website to augment the potential film, I decided to shorten it to Mcpocalypse. It fit better anyway.

BTW, the name has nothing to do with the urban dictionary definition of a deadly McDonald's sandwich. In fact, when I originally thought of it, I had no idea this definition existed. The name, as far as I'm concerned, implies the silliness of all the "end of the world" madness that seems to permeate our culture. Back around the turn of the century, this silliness was pervasive, but now... as we near 2012, it's practically invasive, infecting everything in our culture like a virus.

Hence, The Mcpocalypse. Eschatological junkfood for a civilization gone mad. In other words, it may very well be the end of the world as we know it, but that's not going to stop me from having a good time. Laughing in the face of death, as they say, or as Morrison put it, "I just want to get my kicks before the whole shithouse goes up in flames."

Who am I?

As the name implies, I am a descendent of the Roman satirist Juvenal. His satire was considered a little more brutal than his contemporary Horace, who's associated with more light-hearted fare. Not that I don't sometimes come across as a Horace's Ass, but I like my work with a little subversive edge to it. The darker, the better. The name is also a pun on juvenile, which fits my inner-adolescent. The delinquent part is the outlaw in me.

So, I guess you could say I'm just an angry rebellious child at the end of another falling empire.

What is satire?

A quick and mildly pretentious word on what I think constitutes satire. The convential definition states that satire is an art form that uses irony, sarcasm, parody, exaggeration, burlesque, puns, and wit to expose, ridicule, and criticize the stupidity, shortcomings, and vices of persons, places, and/or things in society.

That's a pretty good description, but it's incomplete, as people often make the mistake that satire is also supposed to be funny. Here's a little secret: Satire does not always equal humor. In fact, the best satire is not very funny at all, at least in the conventional sense. It can be offensive, unpleasant, and downright frightening when done well. And this is what, in my opinion, separates the true satirist from the humorist. There's nothing wrong with being funny. It will definitely make you more popular. But to me, scaring the shit out them, or provoking some other emotion, can be just as powerful and rewarding, especially if done with the intention of revealing a deeper truth about human nature. The trick is not to care if people like you or not. Never be afraid to offend if the situation calls for it, I say.

So, with that, I'd like to give you my own personal take on what constitutes great, as opposed to merely mediocre or good satire. I'm guilty of all three:

Bad satire uses toilet humor in place of genuine wit (see most Hollywood comedies of the last decade), going for the cheap laughs or the lowest common demoninator.

Good satire genuinely amuses and makes one think more deeply about an issue.

Great satire is almost indistinguishable from the truth, funny or not.

Take that for what it's worth. Here are some of my favorite quotes on satire:

It is difficult not to write satire. -Juvenal

Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own.-Jonathan Swift

For years, reality has been nipping at the heels of satire. Now, it's finally caught up. I don't need to make this stuff up. -Paul Krassner

Satire is a lesson, parody is a game. -Vladimir Nabokov

Satire is tragedy plus time. You give it enough time, the public, the reviewers will allow you to satirize it. Which is rather ridiculous, when you think about it. -Lenny Bruce

All satire is blind to the forces liberated by decay. Which is why total decay has absorbed the forces of satire. -Theodor Adorno

Satire is what closes on Saturday night. -George S. Kaufman

And here are just some of my favorite quotes:

Absurdity is the only reality. -Frank Zappa

Language is a virus. -William S. Burroughs

History is truth that becomes an illusion; mythology is an illusion that becomes reality. -Jean Cocteau